Anyone jobless for a long time before?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

yeah... I admit i am a loser...

all my friends rich, got girlfriend, engaged, getting married.

LOL. I am the oddball out. with no prospect, no looks, too fat, too dark, no gf, no $.

Hey, nobody is a loser unless you give up on yourself. You still young ... That is your advantage.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

yeah... I admit i am a loser...

all my friends rich, got girlfriend, engaged, getting married.

LOL. I am the oddball out. with no prospect, no looks, too fat, too dark, no gf, no $.

the guy who asked that question did not even seem to imply you were a loser. He was probably just curious.

And if you really are a guy, it is indeed expected that you would be "released" from the call centre sooner or later. Most would prefer ladies or females for such positions.

And if you have been drawing ~2940$ monthly till now since you graduated.. you should be as rich as your friends since that is the average pay most people get.. you have only yourself to blame if you did not save the money well.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

yeah... I admit i am a loser...

all my friends rich, got girlfriend, engaged, getting married.

LOL. I am the oddball out. with no prospect, no looks, too fat, too dark, no gf, no $.

Why are you oddball ? At least you have friends as your motivation. Look at them as a source of inspiration and not for comparison.

[aspenx]

Unemployed since 8th August.

Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Will be starting work early next year.

Its been hard not having a steady income but I had to quit to get the job I wanted.

I had given up countless times along the way and wondered what exactly I was doing. Every time it happened, I would convince myself it was the last time and that this is my last chance to be stubborn while I am still "young enough".

Don't give up and all the best.

After searching for so long to get a suitable job without success, I finally decided to set up my own business. I sold my landed house and moved to a condo. With the cash balance from the house sale, I used it as capital. I'm earning $60k pa now (net), hope to earn $300k pa after two years. My wife earns $120k pa now. Our household spendings is $100k pa.

Originally Posted by aspenx

Unemployed since 8th August.

Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Will be starting work early next year.

Its been hard not having a steady income but I had to quit to get the job I wanted.

I had given up countless times along the way and wondered what exactly I was doing. Every time it happened, I would convince myself it was the last time and that this is my last chance to be stubborn while I am still "young enough".

Don't give up and all the best.

Congrats! 5 months is a long time indeed without job.

[aspenx]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Congrats! 5 months is a long time indeed without job.

Thanks! It felt like eternity...

Things were further complicated because I was trying to get a job outside of Sg as a "FT" too. Too curious to not try.

Originally Posted by aspenx

Unemployed since 8th August.

Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Will be starting work early next year.

Its been hard not having a steady income but I had to quit to get the job I wanted.

I had given up countless times along the way and wondered what exactly I was doing. Every time it happened, I would convince myself it was the last time and that this is my last chance to be stubborn while I am still "young enough".

Don't give up and all the best.

mind sharing more abt ur background n what happened? like what ur qualifications, exp and why u wanted to switch jobs? it will be a great motivation for jobless ppl out here

[aspenx]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

mind sharing more abt ur background n what happened? like what ur qualifications, exp and why u wanted to switch jobs? it will be a great motivation for jobless ppl out here

Sure. I'll try to summarise since I tend to be a little long-winded.

I'm a local engineering grad from a local uni with only average grades.

Something different from my peers is that I had already got JLPT1 (the highest certification for written Japanese for foreigners) before I graduated.

I joined a small engineering SME then where I did everything from service sales, procurement, to PM (project management), and after services.

My cert was just collecting dust before I decided to make a move using it as a springboard. I got into manufacturing equipment (from retro-fitting production areas and installing equipment) with my PM experience and JLPT cert because the company wanted to venture into the Japan market.

I learned a lot in these two companies. My Japanese and PM skills got polished up. I also managed to get PMP certified (project management professional) while I was working at the 2nd company. I didn't bother with any more Japanese language certs.

I then used my new PMP cert to move to a bigger manufacturing company (and higher post). I found the work repetitive and I wasn't learning much from the work. I wanted a job that helps me grow and I was willing to work hard for it and not just the money.

So I told my boss about my decision. I gave more than 1 month's notice as a courtesy for them to find my replacement (while I saved up to make my next big move).

I then left the company (and Singapore). Concentrated on full-time job search in Japan. With my qualifications (degree + JLPT1 + PMP) and experience (construction and manufacturing), I found a company in Japan that made and installed their own systems and they needed someone to manage throughout the entire project lifecycles.

I attribute my "success" to continual self-upgrading and working hard for what I wanted. That meant saving up for a gamble overseas with my own savings and no income.

At each new company, my gross monthly salary was ~20% more than what I last drew at each previous company. I suspect I wouldn't have been jobless for this long if I had not stick to this principle.

I'm just glad that my efforts, qualifications, and luck all finally aligned. Many of the people I know either think I was crazy or really "courageous". Thinking back, I realised I was neither. I don't think I can ever do such a "stunt" again.

If I _do_ have to do it again, I would take better care of my health. Cooping yourself up at home and just waiting by your phone/computer for interviews is no good for the mind nor the body. It really took a toll on me and I regret it because I could have performed better for all those interviews if I was healthier.

At the end of the day, nothing is as important as taking care of yourself really... Finding a job is just a matter of time and how much you can be contented with so you shouldn't be that hard on yourself. To rest is to prepare for a longer journey, or something like that.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Been unemployed for almost 3 months, just get a job offer for kitchen crew, but i hear from many of my friends and family say kitchen crew is a very tough and tiring job, so i am still thinking whether to accept the job offer, any advice from anyone ? Or anyone that have work before as kitchen crew could also give some advice?

Every job has its dull side. It depends on what you want and what you are willing to let go. Forget about weekends and public holidays. Your days will be long. (Min: 10 hrs)

Low starting pay unless you have kitchen experience. If you have passion for cooking I think you should go for it. The skills you pick up will stay with you forever. You will be very employable after a few years as this line lacks Singaporean.

May I ask what qualification you hold ?